KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 -- For many of Malaysia's ageing taxi drivers, dwindling passengers are only part of the problem.

Many are still driving decades-old vehicles they do not own while paying daily rental fees that leave little room to improve their earnings or replace their taxis.

Why was the programme designed?

According to the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), the number of active taxi vehicle permits in Peninsular Malaysia fell to 35,388 as of March 2026 from 76,031 in 2019.

It was this situation that prompted the government to review existing policies and consider how it could better support the industry.

Rather than offering a one-off subsidy, the Transport Ministry worked with the Ministry of Finance, Proton, EON Bank and ...